RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Assessing Diaphragmatic Function JF Respiratory Care FD American Association for Respiratory Care SP 807 OP 819 DO 10.4187/respcare.07410 VO 65 IS 6 A1 Tom Schepens A1 Samira Fard A1 Ewan C Goligher YR 2020 UL http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/65/6/807.abstract AB The diaphragm is vulnerable to injury during mechanical ventilation, and diaphragm dysfunction is both a marker of severity of illness and a predictor of poor patient outcome in the ICU. A combination of factors can result in diaphragm weakness. Both insufficient and excessive diaphragmatic contractile effort can cause atrophy or injury, and recent evidence suggests that targeting an appropriate amount of diaphragm activity during mechanical ventilation has the potential to mitigate diaphragm dysfunction. Several monitoring tools can be used to assess diaphragm activity and function during mechanical ventilation, including pressure-derived parameters, electromyography, and ultrasound. This review details these techniques and presents the rationale for a diaphragm-protective ventilation strategy.